DISTRACTION | Spencer Reid Fanfic

4

Back in D.C I made an extra effort with the team. To show that I was trying. When they would plan things, I would go out of my way to join them. Slowly but surely, I think they thought things were getting back to normal. But only I knew how hard it actually was. It had only been a few weeks since I dumped the vials and refrained from getting more. Every moment of everyday I want to give in.

Thankfully I was past the initial wave of withdrawal. I wasn't sure how long I could keep it up.

I hoped that keeping busy would help. That's why I agreed to going out with team. I sat in the in the bar, wedged between JJ and Derek, sipping my club soda.

It was loud and crowded. Typical of what you would expect on a Friday night. That didn't stop me from cringing away from any unwanted touches. Why is it then when people have one drink down them, they concept of personal space baffles them?

The bass was vibrating through the table, and I can see the ripples forming in my drink. Hanging out with the others is undeniably fun when we don't have a case. I hadn't realised how much I was missing out on when I was wallowing in self-pity.

"Kid, I missed this." Derek nudged me. "Who else is supposed to be my wingman?"

"Wingman?" I laughed. "Prentiss would do a better job than me." I jerked my head towards Emily.

"Aw, I appreciate the recognition, Reid. And Morgan, he isn't wrong." Emily was proud of her earned tittle.

The laughter of my friends cut through the music that was booming around us. It warmed my heart, almost filling the gaping hole that had riddled it.

The hole had been there since I stopped giving into my temptation. Sometimes I felt the sensation creeping back, but I wasn't going to give in that easily. I had a therapist. How helpful he was, is yet to be determined.

It was as I was debating with Penelope the reasons that I wanted to stick to paper files and not iPads, that I noticed a familiar face walk past our table towards the bar, breaking away from a larger group. It was a face that had been occupying my mind ever since I made the decision to quit.

Y/n was trapsing through the mob of people, hand in hand with a man, who was guiding her path. Someone I could only assume was her boyfriend. They weaved through the dancing crowds, only stopping when they had reached the bar. Y/n swayed to the beat of the music as she unscrewed the cap on a bottle of water.

A light bulb moment triggered in my head. I watched as the guy with Y/n told her something in her ear and then disappeared into masses. I downed my drink, slightly alarming Penelope. She was immediately silenced, and her jaw hit the table.

"I'll be back." I shot up from my seat, I still had my vision focused on Y/n.

"Does this mean I won?" Penelope shouted after me, but her voice faded into the background.

Working my way through the partiers that were here to get relief from their 9 to 5 drawl, I park up beside her. She hadn't noticed me yet. A girl, who must be a friend by the level of touchiness I could see, was hanging off her neck, trying to persuade her to dance.

"Come on, Y/n. It's my birthday," the girl pouted at Y/n.

Y/n held the girl's heads with hands. "I will. Just taking a breather and I'm just waiting for Aaron to grab something from the car for me."

"Are you okay?" The girl had appeared to suddenly sober up.

Y/n smiled brightly. "Yes. I'm fine. Now go dance. Have fun."

The birthday girl seemed happy enough with the explanation and pranced back to the dance floor.

Y/n leaned her back against the bar top, smiling at her friends on the dancefloor. She decided to take a picture of them, likely to embarrass them later. As she steadied the camera, I cleared my throat.